Teachers strike in Madrid

Secondary school teachers in Madrid began a two-day strike on 20 September. The teachers are protesting against job lay-offs and increased hours in the second round of austerity measures being ushered in by the Spanish government ahead of general elections on 20 November.

Demonstrations against cuts in education spending are being held across the country, and teachers in Galicia, in northwest Spain, are planning to strike in late September. There are reports in the capital of school students being monitored by school directors and janitors in assembly halls.

Spain, the euro zone's fourth-largest economy, is attempting to narrow its budget deficit to six per cent of GDP this year from last year